Attention Lustron Home Junkies!!!

[hausdok]

Have you ever “lustedâ€

[mickeyco]

I live in Lombard where there is a large number of Lustron homes are. Here is an article from the Chicago Tribune about them:

The Lustron home, an all-metal, maintenance-free prefab designed to ease a World War II housing shortage, is stirring up a war of its own in Lombard, as the boxy little residence loses ground in a housing market where bigger is better and teardowns are commonplace.

Nearly 60 years after the houses hit the market, a battle is heating up between Lustron lovers and builders who want to replace the one-story homes with more modern housing.

"It's called progress, but not in a good way. It's change, but I think it's a shame," said Lombard resident Thomas Fetters, author of "The Lustron Home."

On the other hand, the Lustrons have outlived their own usefulness, according to others.

Epic Construction owners Nicole and Randy Barg and Gary Martin have found themselves in the middle of the action after tearing down a house on Elizabeth Street. It was one of only 2,500 Lustron homes ever built.

Because the Lustron company went out of business in 1950, replacement parts for the homes are scarce.

The Bargs offered the parts of their teardown to Lustron owners for free and found themselves being accused of "killing a Lustron," Nicole Barg said.

According to Fetters, Lombard has 36 Lustron Homes, the largest concentration outside of military bases.

Fetters began his quest to understand and count the nation's Lustrons after his daughter decided to do a science project on them.

Fetters said two Lustrons in Wheaton, one in Glen Ellyn, a few in Villa Park and one in Elmhurst are all gone. Lombard's supply has dwindled to under 30, according to Joel van Haaften, executive director of the Lombard Historical Museum. He said he hopes Lombard can acquire a home and save a little slice of history.

[kevin stenson]

Originally posted by hausdok

Have you ever “lustedâ€

[Bill Kibbel]

Originally posted by kevin stenson

Originally posted by hausdok

...what special conditions should I expect?

Ummmm, rust! [:-graduat

[Bill Kibbel]

I just remembered someone asking me about replacement parts for Lustrons. At the time, I bookmarked this.